Back Breaking

Got these from the check-up last month.

Means little to me and just look like a spine. Blurred CT scan from before supposedly shows T6 & T7 fracture. Stable Anterior Wedge apparently. X-Ray after said to them that it looks good. Fair enough.

Whatever the case I’ve been back on the bike since end of May which was barely over a month since the crash. Took it easy for a bit though, but scaled up a bit now. Fairly normal stuff now though have some fears of stuff that’s relatively easy on some days and not others. Confidence boost needed but definitely have a greater focus on risk and what I’m capable of. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop, but just if I know I can’t do it without practice and skill, then I won’t do it.

The broken back The broken back (healed)

Swinley crash, 9th April 2011

Unending Trees
It’s been a couple of weeks, so time I posted about my little smash on the bike.

It’s difficult to say what exactly happened as the result of this was I ended up in Frimley Park ICU and mostly unconscious for nearly 2 days. I have no memory of the crash or the 1.5 mile walk I apparently did back to the car park, or the ambulance, the helpful guys at GoApe, etc.

Can thank bungalistic though for picking up the pieces and getting me to the ambulance. Thanks also I understand to the folk at GoApe.

From what I understand anyway, after we’d been playing around Babymaker, Labyrinth & Deerstalker area, having a good time, we’d been heading back and found some drops and rolls to do. Seems I’d decided to try them out also, even though I’m not too skilled on drops. Though I’d been playing on the jumps earlier that day with some success.

Next thing apparently I’d disappeared over a drop and was found unconscious, then came to and managed to get back to the car park in a very confused state. Ambulance was called for and off I went to the ICU.

A lesson learnt from all this isn’t what I did or didn’t do, as I have no memory of it, but that it’s well worth keeping decent contact details on yourself for these situations, along with any information that medics may need. I had my phone but it was locked so fairly useless. Main thing of use was my donor card with my parents details on.

Considering how often I go out myself without telling anyone where I’m going and not carrying a great deal of info, it makes me realise it’s worth carrying further info. I do many group rides but no one has contact details for me, or I for them, so similar problems could occur.

Anyway, after finally waking up and being moved to a regular ward, I’ve improved fast. A week after the incident and left hospital, just with a couple of fractured vertebrae that look to be healing fine, and stiff neck, but fine otherwise.

It was just supposed to be a simple day playing about at Swinley, not doing anything too adventurous for me. Somehow it went a bit wrong. Ah well.

MOD polite notice to mountain bikers

Seems fair enough really and decent of them to not kick us off the land. There are increasing issues of conflict going on though, with unofficial trailbuilding, and interference with operations. That and the potential for getting sued by riders who take a tumble on the land is making the MOD jittery perhaps.

Note that similar signs are up about dog walkers also.

MOD polite notice to mountain bikers

The Bike

Haven’t actually posted about the current bike. We’ll here it is in a recent pose in the snow.

Surrey Hills

GT I-Drive 5 XCR (2009)
GT 6061 aluminium frame
RockShox Recon 327 forks 130mm
Fox RP2 rear shock
Truvativ Firex GXP crankset
22T/32T/Bash chainrings (mix of Truvativ, Deore & Raceface)
Wellgo B52 pedals
Avid Juicy 3 brakes
Shimano SLX Shadow rear mech
Shimano Deore front mech
Shimano Deore shifters
SRAM 950 rear cassette
SRAM 951 chain
Formula hubs
Alex DP20 rims
Maxxis Minion front tyre 2.35
Maxxis High Roller rear tyre 2.35
FSA Orbit Pro Extreme Headset
Raceface AM stem
GT oversize bars
Hope QR seat clamp and wheel skewers
Superstar grips
Charge Spoon saddle

Not bad for around £1200k. Was £1k originally, but the headset, tyres, clamp/skewers, pedals, chainrings/bash, saddle, stem and grips have been upgrade/replacements but that’s only about £200 worth. Originally came with a cheap but functional FSA headset and Maxxis Ignitor tyres which are decent enough.

Have been thinking of changing the front fork to something a bit more advanced and slacken the head angle slightly. 140mm should be fine. 150mm at a push.

Edit: After an off, bike took no damage other than the saddle. Really robust. My back on the other hand took some damage, along with the head. So replaced saddle (was a SDG Bel Air, now Charge Spoon).